Other

Union Switch & Signal, Inc.

Aerotech, Inc.

Robert A Peterson

Barry W Johnson

Theo C Giras

Joseph A Profeta

Daniel R Disk

Robert G Brown

Katelyn J Peterson

Larry C Mackey

A portable ladder is presented for assisting a rider to mount a horse. The portable ladder is flexible and attaches to the saddle. The saddle need not be specially adapted to receive the portable ladder. The ladder may also be folded up for carrying or stowing while riding.

Portable ladder for mounting a horse

An improved wet vacuum is described which removes floor stripping chemicals and residual water left behind from a floor stripping machine. The vacuum system is portable, battery operated and houses a storage reservoir constrained via elastic straps on a rollable base. A vacuum box is operatively mounted to a motor and include moisture reduction features which reduce moisture accumulation in and around the motor via an adapted flow path and drain channel. A single lever and rear activated squeegee mechanism which is in fluid communication with the vacuum system is selectively lowered an raised for removing floor cleaning chemicals and/or other liquids from the surface of a floor. An interior mechanical brace assembly is also featured to prevent reservoir buckling from operative vacuum pressure. A simple control module is provided for operating and monitoring power for the system.

Wet vacuum

A railway traffic control system in which accurate vehicle information is effectively available in real-time to facilitate control of traffic flow. Unlike prior art methods of precisely monitoring train location, the current invention is dependant only on equipment on-board the vehicle and position updates provided by external benchmarks located along the track route. The system's dynamic motion capabilities can also be used to sense and store track rail signatures, as a function of rail distance, which can be routinely analyzed to assist in determining rail and road-bed conditions for preventative maintenance purposes. In presently preferred embodiments, the on-board vehicle information detection equipment comprises an inertial measurement unit providing dynamic vehicle motion information to a position processor. Depending on the amount and quality of apriori knowledge of the vehicle route, the inertial measurement unit may have as many as three gyroscopes and three accelerometers or as little as a single accelerometer. To minimize error between benchmarks, the processor preferably includes a recursire estimation filter to combine the apriori route information with movement attributes derived from the inertial measurement unit.

Traffic control system utilizing on-board vehicle information

A method of correcting quadrature signal errors comprises the steps for generating an error function signal E by summing the squares of the quadrature signals and subtracting a constant K therefrom, saving the value of the error function E at .theta. equals approximately 0, .pi./2, .pi., and 3.pi./2, using the saved values of the error function to generate signals indicative of the quadrature errors, and generating corrected quadrature signals by processing the quadrature signals to eliminate the errors.

Quadrature error correction

A watertight, buoyant container for carrying on the person. An integral body cooperates with a reversible cap adapted to be received by the body to effect watertight closure of a compartment in either of two orientations. A clip is provided extending outwardly from one end of the cap, disposed so that in the first orientation the clip is received in the compartment and, in the second orientation, the clip is operatively exposed for securing the container to an extrinsic object. A tapered compartment configuration to facilitate receiving the clip in the compartment is also disclosed.

Cigarette case

A refuse compactor having a packing blade hinged under the cover of a container and movable through an automatic refuse packing cycle involving initial downward extension of the blade through a packing stroke by atmospheric pressure and gravity, to effectively compact refuse within the container, and final upward return of the blade by air pressure to a normal retracted position against the underside of the cover each time the cover is locked in closed position. The compactor embodies a safety feature whereby the packing blade is securely latched in the retracted position and positively inactivated against extension through its packing stroke except when the compactor cover is locked in closed position.

Trash compactor with cover mounted packing blade

A refuse compactor having a container with a refuse compression space on one side of a pressure plate which is movable by atmospheric pressure, upon evacuation of the refuse space, in one direction through a compression stroke to compress refuse in the space. The pressure plate is movable in the opposite direction through a return stroke by either pressurizing of the refuse space or evacuation of a space, which may be a second refuse compression space, at the opposite side of the plate. The refuse compactor is adapted to be emptied by a conventional trash collection vehicle equipped with a trash bin elevating and inverting mechanism, e.g., a fork lift. The plate includes a wiper for prolonging the life of the pressure plate seal and the compactor includes a novel vacuum pump and valve system for operating the pressure plate.

Growing community of inventors

Brookfield, IL, United States of America

Robert A Peterson